Turning Points
by Special Agent Snuggles
Summary: Inspired partly by Zootopia's original premise. In this story, "tame" collars were around during Nick's early childhood. You can take this fanfic as canon, if you like. (Personally, I thought Nick's treatment by the scouts was too weak to justify his turning to a life of crime, anywho.) The first chapter is a flashback to Nick's childhood, and following chapters focus on Nick/Judy.
1. Damaged

Author's Note: From Zootopia co-director Rich Moore: "The story which felt all kinds of crooked at that time...straightened and suddenly the world felt like a world we could relate to, like our world. It didn't feel like a dystopian world."

*Warning*: the key word is "dystopian". This is not a happy chapter, and focuses on Nick's childhood in a Zootopia where tame collars were still around. Skip to the next chapter to avoid water works (mostly).

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 **Damaged**

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Mrs. Wilde sat silent and rigid, holding her kit carefully in her lap. He was shivering uncontrollably in the drafty space. They were only a dozen feet from huge double doors that let frigid air in every time someone entered the building.

They'd been waiting nearly two hours, but her kit resolutely kept his head up, held at a slightly awkward angle, as he strained to lengthen his neck. Adrenaline was doing its job, keeping her young child awake and aware, until safety could be restored.

Only a trained technician could help. When Mrs. Wilde had suggested they should call someone in early, the receptionist had pretended not to hear, so their only recourse had been to sit, and hope.

Mrs. Wilde listened to her kit's breathing slowly grow more shallow, as he fought back against sleep. He breathed through his snout, his mouth clamped carefully closed. His whistling inhales and exhales, typically silent, came twice as fast as usual. He'd cried so much earlier, the lingering congestion made every breathe audible.

The front doors swung open again, letting a shuffling antelope who wore a long blue c...a lab coat! Mrs. Wilde's eyes widened, her ears swiveling to follow the clipping noise his shuffling gait created against the tile floor.

The antelope came to pause at the front desk, and the receptionist, a sheep, raised a relaxed hoof in greeting, then waved it in their direction. "Hey Jeff...got a fox, collar's malfunctioning."

The antelope halfway turned to follow the receptionist's sideways glance, his good mood dieing along the way. His eyes narrowed, lips pulling into a frown. Mrs. Wilde knew the look well. Suspicion - that she and her tiny, seven year old kit were pretending, pulling a trick of some sort, because that's what foxes _did_ , of course.

Mrs. Wilde leaned down slightly, face carefully neutral, ignoring the look, as she had thousands of times before, and gathered her kit up, lifting him in her arms as she stood. He was too big to usually hold this way anymore, and it didn't help that her legs had stiffened from sitting so long on the cold stone bench. She stumbled forward slightly as she rose.

His arms tightened around her, and instinctively he gasped in fear. Mrs. Wilde stood for a long moment, counting her heart beats as her kit's suddenly harsh breathes filled her ears, and she knew he was near tears; could smell the salt. Every strand of fur on her body stood on edge, as the brief panic receded.

The antelope had ambled over, with a look that said he wasn't buying their act. He took a relaxed sip from the cup of coffee he held in one hoof.

Mrs. Wilde spoke as calmly as she could. "Are you the tame collar technician? There's been a malfunction. We've been up all night." She stared up with imploring eyes. "I-it's my son's collar, Nick. He...can't speak. If he does..."

She drifted off, her throat closing tight, mouth shutting into a thin line. His screaming still rang in her ears from hours earlier, the repeated attempts to speak, to explain, ending with her kit writhing on the floor, scratching his own face in trying to get away...

The technician sighed, wearing a slightly putrid look, and glanced briefly toward the double doors he'd just walked through. His eyes lingered on the two police who stood on duty there. He shrugged, took another sip of coffee, and gestured toward the back.

"C'mon, let's have a look."

Once they were in his office, with Nick sitting on an examination table, the technician didn't touch the collar directly. Instead, he took a black flat edged tool out from a nearby drawer. Mrs. Wilde only realized it had a metal tip right as it made contact with the collar, too late to warn.

"N...!"

Nick let out an involuntary scream, as a brief arc jumped from the collar, and the technician hastily pulled it back, yelling out in surprise. "OW!"

Mrs. Wilde was instantly there, gripping her son's arms as the sharp pain made his tiny body writhe briefly. He stared into nothing, desperation focusing him totally on choking down even the slightest whimper. After a moment that felt like a year, he broke into harsh gasps, his body past the initial shock. Nick slowly relaxed, limply leaning against her, his eyes only half open as he took shallow breathes, his entire body trembling from the strain.

"That smarted. _Jeeze_..." The technician turned away, stepping up to a computer in the corner of the room. Any lingering disbelief had been wiped off his face. "Give me a sec, I'll get it disabled."

The sound of typing filled the room, and 'a second' stretched into minutes, but finally, as if by magic, the tiny green light that indicated Nick's tame collar was active went dim, and a tiny click signaled the release of an internal mechanism.

Jeff came over again, a different tool in hand, and with a few motions, the instrument of her son's torture was finally removed.

"Oh, Nick..." Mrs. Wilde allowed herself to finally hug him fully, as her kit hid his face in her stomach. "Sweetheart...it's over, it's _over_..."

"Be right back, gotta get a replacement."

Nick froze in her arms. His paws reached up, gripping Mrs. Wilde with desperate strength, the panicked gasping back as her son melted to pieces in her arms.

"Noooo, Mom, No, NO, NOOOO!" The words lost their form, as his emotions overrode the ability to form coherent words, and he was screaming into her chest. It was uncontrolled panic, and as the sound went on, the clipped jog of feet came, and then one of the police officers from the front door was peering into their little tame collar check-in room.

Their eyes locked for an instant; the officer and Mrs. Wilde. He was a zebra, many time's her size. In that instant, her emotions were impossible to hide away, as Nick cried in her arms. The officer's eyes dropped almost immediately, unable to hold her gaze. A hoof came up to his hat as he tipped his head at her briefly in a perfunctory greeting, and disappeared again.

When the technician returned a few minutes later, casually raising the new collar up, Nick panicked again. "Had to dig a little for this..." The antelope pulled up short, as Nick flailed forward, still in Mrs. Wilde's arms, with swiping claws, baring his teeth, growling in a way he never could with a tame collar around his neck.

"Ghhrha-NOO!" Quivering, the ferocity drained from him almost as soon as it had shown itself, and Nick turned back to Mrs. Wilde, blocking out the technician's presence.

"Mom, _please_..." His huge eyes filled with tears again, and Mrs. Wilde brought up a gentle paw to wipe at his face. He sniffled, blinking, and pushed a cheek into her palm. His voice dropped to a wobble, hardly more than a whisper. " _Why?_ W-what...did I do _wrong?_ "

Mrs. Wilde hugged him close, hiding her own horror. " _Nothing_. You did _nothing_ wrong Nick...none of this is your fault, _never_ think that..."

As she hugged her child, Mrs. Wilde's eyes jumped up to the technician, who stood waiting. Her eyes narrowed, her muscles tensing, and for a moment, it was there - all the blood-lust the majority of prey animals assumed the predators in their midst _always_ felt.

She tightly closed her eyes, harshly pushing down the fury. A growl would set off her own collar, leaving her shocked and dazed. She gently reached up, caressing her son's neck, massaging fur that was usually almost impossible to clean properly. Sometimes, at night, she just dreamed of being able to get _under_ her own collar. The massage slowly soothed Nick, even though he still sobbed into her chest, eyes closed.

Her son was terrified, and she couldn't stop what had to happen next.

After a few minutes, Mrs. Wilde slowly let her hand drop, knowing better than to push her luck any further. She glanced up into the impatient eyes of the tame collar technician, who silently stepped forward. An instant later, he had the new collar clipped around Nick's neck from behind, and the green light lit up...

Nick jolted up, a look of betrayal in his wide eyes. Then he wilted. Any protest was gone, as the energy drained from him in a hopeless way that belonged to someone decades older, not to a seven year old child. With an empty expression, he curled into himself, a tiny ball of fur on the examination table, as the technician stepped in to test and make sure things were calibrated correctly, tugging the collar slightly this way and that. Nick didn't respond, tuning his presence out.

Tuning her out.

A quarter of an hour later, Mrs Wilde carefully set Nick down in the passenger seat of their undersized, beat up old car, and buckled him in. He'd finally given into fatigue, falling asleep while she had been filling out the paperwork detailing out an explanation for their unscheduled visit to the Tame Predators Initiative administration building. As Mrs. Wilde started up the car, she saw the time, and realized Nick's ordeal had begun nearly twelve hours earlier.

Under the thrum of the car's motor, in the dark of the car garage, the wall Mrs. Wilde had built for herself years back finally fell, and sobs shook her slender frame.

She glanced toward Nick, and her tears made the green glow from his collar shatter into a thousand glittering slivers in the dark, like neon glass.

If Nick had faith in her ability to protect him, that had been shattered, too.

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Author's Note: Was this dark? Why yes, yes it was. But! I did not dream up the concepts in this fanfic...Disney did. If you google "Zootopia's Message Came from Story and Character" you can find the interview with Rich Moore talking about their original concepts for Zootopia.

Anywho. o_O Things jump forward to Judy and Nick in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading, guys! If you can leave a review, that would be *awesome*.


	2. Partners In Crime

Author's Note: Less intense, as promised. This jumps to post-movie events.

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 **Partners in Crime**

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The trouble came out of nowhere, and for once, it seemed like Nick was the last person to catch on.

His first clue was Clawhauser. Instead of the usual small talk, the cheetah gave him an uncomfortable look, halfway avoiding his eyes, as Nick made his way toward the Bull Pen for the morning debriefing. If that hadn't been enough to warn him, the silence that descended as he entered the room was. It didn't help that Judy wasn't there, and to save himself from the uncomfortable atmosphere, he shot off a quick text her way, asking if she was sick. There was no immediate reply.

Instead of handing Nick an assignment, Chief Bogo waited until most of the officers had left the room to address him. "Officer Wilde? My office, now."

"Sure thing, Chief..." Nick kept his tone deliberately light hearted, but his wit deserted him temporarily as a horrible thought occurred. He couldn't stop from voicing a question, throat suddenly tight. "Say, Chief...did Judy call in today?" He chuckled slightly, inexplicably nervous. "I have to say, I'm never forcing another carrot down my gullet _again_ if they don't keep you from getting sick, let me _tell_ you..."

Bogo didn't reply, and his stare was far from reassuring as he gestured for Nick to go ahead of him through his office door. The door clicked closed, followed by the lock turning in place. Silence stretched as they took their respective places; Bogo behind his desk, Nick in the chair across from him.

Bogo tossed a magazine on the desk, the cover facing toward Nick, and finally spoke. His eyes never wavered from Nick's face, as if waiting for the fox to blink.

"Officer Hopps requested a _personal_ day."

Nick didn't reply, relieved and somehow more worried at the same time. His eyes jumped to the magazine. He leaned forward slightly, tensing as he took the headline in.

Fox "friend" pretends to take a _bite_...

Bunny _enjoys_ it.

Nick went still, the instinct to make himself small kicking in as his ears went back. The only thing that moved were his eyes, as he studied the magazine as if it might jump up and bite him.

Toward the bottom of the page, the incriminating words made their roles in the ZPD clear: "Keeping the streets _safe?_ Judy Hopps, first bunny ZPD officer, loves her partner's use of force."

It was the front page of one of the more infamous rags, which meant this had to be at the check-out line of probably every grocery store in Zootopia. And of _course_ the timing was just _too_ perfect - it had been published Saturday morning, the day after he and Judy came off a month long case requiring nightly stake-outs. For his part, he'd spent most of the weekend in his apartment, asleep. The only place he'd visited was Marge's 24 Hour Diner down the street, at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.

 _Sweet cheese and crackers._

Nick's face burned. As with most tabloids, a "candid" photo took up most of the page. In this case, it featured a surprisingly clear photo of himself, with Judy pinned underneath him. His mouth, pulled back with all his pearly whites showing in an expression that _screamed_ predator, was on Judy's neck. The photo was zoomed in close, at an angle that hid most of Judy's face, giving just the _wrong_ impression...

Half horror inducing, half sexual innuendo. Nick kept staring, with the feeling that it was time to _wake up_ now, as he read the headline over again. But this was no nightmare. He needed to _study_ it, to _think..._

Then it finally clicked, and he could breath again. He leaned back, frowning. "Chief, it's a _smear_. This is..."

Bogo cut him off. "I have _one_ question, Wilde. Are you in a relationship with Officer Hopps?"

Nick's train of thought went off the tracks, as Bogo's unblinking eyes stared him down. Feelings he'd kept at bay for the better part of a year suddenly felt exposed, scrutinized, as if the chief could read his thoughts. Nick put on his best poker face.

"Sir, of _course_ not. She's my partner on the force. I know the rules." Under his words, an entirely different train of thought took place, as he stared up, meeting Bogo's hard stare with one of his own.

 _Believe me, I've thought plenty about how she'd be dragged through the mud, and you know as well as I do that it's_ not _because we're partners on the ZPD. A predator, especially a male, pursuing a female prey animal...? You think I needed this_ rag _to know exactly what the city would make of_ that?

"Take a close _look_ , sir. I know it's been a year now, but this is definitely from the Natural History museum, when I faked going savage to get the confession from Bellweather. Someone must've grabbed the security footage and waited."

Nick couldn't entirely hide his rising anger. _Judy's going to get dragged through the mud_ anyway _, and the irony is, I've denied how I feel every_ day _to spare her the_ shame _._

Bogo's eyes widened, dropping to the tabloid. He pulled it around to have another look himself, as he placed his spectacles on his face. His expression opened up as he stared at the image, and he hmmed, all judgments forgotten, replaced with concern.

"A delayed attempt at _revenge_ , perhaps..."

"I would _agree_ , sir." Nick could've gone on, but didn't trust himself. Nothing he could say on the fly would be good right now, and in this moment he couldn't afford to give his thoughts away.

"I can tell you're _angry_ , Officer Wilde. I would be too. This is, well...I'm relieved it's not real, and I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion. We'll do everything we can do put the record straight, starting with getting that security tape. I think a press conference is in order, once we have the footage ready, to demonstrate the _context_..."

A loud knocking at the door interrupted Bogo, just as a buzz came from his desk phone. Clawhauser's breathless voice jumped from the speaker. "Chief Bogo? Judy...I-I mean, Officer Hopps is on her way to _see_ you..."

"Noted, Clawhauser." Bogo stood, and he had the door unlocked a moment later.

As Judy entered, Nick's heart jumped to his throat. Her fur was slightly rough, un-brushed looking, and her chest was rising and falling rapidly, as if she had just sprinted all the way from her apartment. She wasn't even in uniform. Her eyes jumped past Bogo, locking onto Nick, and she walked toward him. Nick rose, unable to speak, and noticed that there were wet tracks in the fur on her face.

She'd been crying.

Judy's wide eyes stayed on Nick, as she still worked to catch her breath. "Chief Bogo...? I need...to set...the record _straight_." Nick looked down, as his heart plummeted to somewhere below the ground, and he wished he could follow it there. He couldn't stand to see her face when she said the words...

"I'm in _love_ with Nick Wilde."

"Of _course_ , Offic..." Chief Bogo stopped, belatedly taking in her words. An awkward silence opened up, as Nick kept staring at the ground with suddenly wide eyes, certain that his ears were playing tricks.

Two gentle gray paws found his. They were so small, and lacked the razor-point claws he possessed, instead featuring a set of, by comparison, blunt digging tools meant for rooting up vegetables, for making a place to live under the ground to avoid predators like _foxes_...

"Nick...?" Judy's voice had a telltale wobble. She was near tears. "I – I ..I _love_ you."

Nick finally looked up, unable to hide his worry, lowering his voice and wishing with everything he had that Chief Bogo wasn't standing right there. He returned Judy's grip, squeezing her paws slightly. His voice was even...but the truth was, he was frighteningly close to tears himself, and now more than ever, he couldn't _afford_ that.

"Judy, you don't mean that...c'mon, don't be a - a dumb bunny. I _know_ you. You're trying to make a point, but all you'll end up doing is ruining your caree..."

"I don't _care_ , Nick!" She was crying again, and the lump in his own throat doubled in size. Judy plowed ahead, tearing through every protective wall Nick had ever raised in his mind, one after another. "I _don't care_. I'm in love with you, and...and it took this stupid _smear_ job to make me _see_ it. _Please_..."

Her paws jumped to his face, and he couldn't look away. "Just, I've been going _crazy_ the last two days. I've been thinking, turning everything around and upside down, and..." She bit her lip, her eyes flashing with fear for an instant, making Nick want to reach out to comfort her, even as he held as still as he could, trying to keep that part of himself at bay.

"Nick Wilde, I might be delusional, but I keep _thinking_ that, maybe...d-do you love me _too?_ "

Nick stared at her beautiful, hopeful eyes, and was overwhelmed. Chief Bogo remained silent, but the weight of his presence symbolized the eyes of Zootopia right then. Judy was asking him to confess to something that would tear her life to pieces, and even after a year of living in the big city, did she really _get_ that...?

"Judy... _Judy_." His throat closed up. He couldn't lie to her. He _couldn't_ tell the truth. His mind hung, jumping back to his early childhood, before the tame collars had been banned, then later, to when he'd been so _hopeful_ only to be muzzled as a cruel joke, and on...through a catalog of every incident in his life that had led him toward the cynicism that had defined him, until Judy had shown up and somehow _changed_ everything.

Nick's vision wobbled, turning the room into a kaleidoscope for an instant, and then the tears he'd been denying finally flowed. Judy's thumbs gently brushed his cheeks, and she snorted softly, still crying herself. "It's okay. It's okay." She smiled, and he knew the game was up. "You don't _have_ to say it out loud." Judy leaned up and in, her eyes turning coy for an instant as her nose brushed his, sending a warm tingle straight to his toes. "Dumb fox."

Then he gave into the embrace, and she was hugging him as he leaned down to wrap his arms around her tiny frame, breathing in her scent in deep, intoxicating gulps.

And in that moment, everything was right in the world, because whatever happened next, Judy would be with him.

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Author's Note: In a world where one group of people (predators) used to quite literally dine on another group (prey), I'm thinking that crossing that line into romance would be extremely taboo, at best. The biological differences are still very much on display in their food preferences and tendencies (as with the wolves still howling), and physical characteristics. They aren't humans, after all- they are physically very, very different creatures. With that premise in place, I think a romance between a predator and prey animal (especially when they are historically natural predator/prey, as with foxes and rabbits), would be viewed as, well...creeptastic, on the part of the predator.

As for the prey animal in the relationship, I think they'd probably be seen as someone who wants to be abused, and is happy to willingly play the part of a victim in a relationship that could never, due to their biology, work in any sort of balanced way. I think both predatory animals and prey animals would have issues with it, for different (or even the same) reasons (and the tabloid kind of hits the nail on the head, so to speak). In a nutshell, I'm guessing the "biology" comments made by Judy and the doctor working on a cure for predators going savage in the film was the tip of the proverbial iceberg, when it comes to prejudices in Zootopia.

And I have clearly thought about this *way* too much! A review would be appreciated – I'd love to hear your thoughts too! :P


	3. Visiting the Parents (Part One)

Author's Note: For anybody reading the TMNT story...I swear I'm working on it!

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 **Visiting the Parents**

 **(Part One)**

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By some drastic stroke of bad luck, her parents, out in _Bunny_ Burrow, had seen the tabloid.

"I'm coming up there, your _father_ and I are! We're going to give that...that _joke_ of a newspaper a piece of our minds! Why...we'll _sue_ , is what! This is just _outrageous_..."

Judy's dad must have got the phone away from her mom, because her voice suddenly got much quieter, even though Judy could still hear her in the background. Bonnie Hopps had worked herself into a fury. "...little _girl_ , on the cover of some dirty, _muck_ raking...cant _believe_..."

" _Hey_ , Jude the dude!" Her dad chuckled uncomfortably, and she could hear him putting more distance between himself and her mother. "How're you holding up? Are you eating well, keeping healthy? Are there...media people at your door, following you? I know they do that sometimes, those paparizzi..."

"Paparazzi, dad...and no, well, maybe a few people have come around, but the Chief is going to clear the air. Like I said, that was taken _extremely_ out of context, from a year ago now. It's _really_ ancient history."

"Well, that's good to hear! Definitely a relief, let me tell you, I just about had a heart attack. I've got to say, Judy, those sneaky people these days with Photoshoot and all that technology..." She didn't bother correcting him this time. "But your mother has a point. Maybe you should at least take some time off, come visit? You've got some vacation time saved up by now, right? Why don't you come home for a week or two? We...ya know, we haven't seen you in...in person in _months_ , Judy."

The way he had hesitated said it all. _That_ was how bad that tabloid looked. Her dad's nerves had to be on edge. Judy herself had sat in shock, just staring at the front page for a few minutes at first. It didn't help that with the kind of work she did, she'd had a few dangerous encounters over the last year. Her friends on Furbook included pretty much all of the ZPD at this point, and her parents paid enough attention to catch on to her habit of, well...leaving upsetting things out of their phone conversations. Judy wasn't surprised they wanted to see his daughter, to verify she really _was_ okay.

For all she knew, they might be worried _she_ was doctoring her Furbook photos.

"Dad...I can't..." Judy's words died as her eyes jumped up to catch Nick's curious gaze from where he sat in the recliner across from her. She had been about to explain that she couldn't run away from this, but the truth was that if she didn't tell her parents about her new relationship with Nick, the tabloids would.

And she _couldn't_ do that to them. She _couldn't_ be a coward about this. Besides, Judy _was_ due for a vacation - her and Nick, both. And that's what they _should_ do. They'd catch the train, spend some time in Bunny Burrow with her family, and give her parents the news, before the _real_ media storm hit.

As soon as she thought about it, the idea turned into a decision.

Judy shook her head at herself. _It sounds so simple in my head._ But that didn't change the fact that this needed to happen, and the clock was ticking. Chief Bogo was currently pretending he hadn't overheard her proclamation of love for Nick in his office, and had _strongly_ hinted that it would be better if they both pretended, too, but Judy _wasn't_ going to do that.

And she had already told a little white lie just now. She and Nick both had paparazzi following them, albeit discretely and at a distance. She wouldn't be surprised if they were already writing up another story showing them entering Nick's apartment together.

"You know what? You're right. I'll come down as _soon_ as I can, Dad. But I just want to prepare you guys, I'm..." her eyes jumped to Nick again, and he stared back, his eyes slowly widening, "...bringing company. There's someone I want you to meet."

Judy didn't quite look at Nick again, guilty for making a spur of the moment decision without asking him first. She _felt_ him close the distance, and couldn't miss how he was waving his paws, to get her to reverse course. She turned further away, sitting sideways on the couch, and moved the phone to the other ear, practically facing the wall.

Her father hadn't responded for a little too long, and she silently cursed her choice of words as he replied. "This sounds kind of... _important_ , Judy."

Judy could practically hear the wheels turning. That had totally sounded like she was bringing a boyfriend, but following up by mentioning Nick seemed like a spectacularly bad idea right then, when they probably still had that _stupid_ tabloid right there.

"Um, actually yeah! It really is, dad. _Very_ important, even. But I don't want to get into everything now, plus it's getting late! Just wanted to let you know to expect company, but I _really_ need to say good night..."

"Judy." Her dad cut her off, a hopeful note in his voice. "Have you found yourself a buck? Because if you have, that's _wonderful_..."

"Dad, _no_ , not...exactly. Look, this _really_ needs to be a conversation we have in pers..."

"You mean he's not a buck? Oh, geepers...you mean it's not a...oh, no. I _never_ should've called you Jude the dude..."

"What!" Judy put a paw to her forehead, tempted to laugh. "Just...Dad, please stop." _Stop being weird._ "Trust me, you have the _wrong_ idea. It's..." she bit her lip, knowing she would regret this, and took the plunge anyway. "It's Nick, okay? I _will_ explain everything in person, just...be prepared to set an extra place at that table..."

"Nick who?" Her dad sounded lost for a moment, and Judy's heart practically stopped, as she waited for him to catch on. "Nick _Wilde?_ "

Judy opened her mouth to respond, but her dad pushed on, his voice hitting a low note, an edge of worry back again. "Oh _criminy_...Judy, I'm not sure what you're thinking, but your partner doesn't need you to make a...statement of solidarity, at least not like this. In fact, it would do more harm than good, sweetheart! What if the news people follow you? They...they would make _hay_ out of that! I have to put my foot down on this one. Your friend would be welcome _any_ other time, but _not_ right now."

Judy stared into space, briefly lost for words. Her dad had just...skipped right over the idea that she and Nick might be more than friends. Seriously, her dad thought she might be into girls, but couldn't consider that she might date a _fox?_ Judy shook her head, frowning. "Listen, Dad? It's _important_ to me that..."

"I'm not _arguing_ with you about this. _Nothing_ is going to be helped by bringing that fox into our home. It's not _happening_ , Judy." His voice had an edge of anger that had only surfaced a handful of times in Judy's life, which left her stunned.

She spoke without thinking, as a cocktail of indignation and fear made her fur bristle. "If _he_ can't come, I stay too. _That's_ the deal. So just tell me right now if you don't want me to visit, and I'll just keep saving that vacation time, Dad. It's your call."

"What is it you think you're going to _accomplish_ , Judy?" She could hear her emotions mirrored in his voice; anger laced with fear. "Sweetheart, this is...what do you think it _looks_ like, if you bring your fox friend with you to meet your parents? You're a grown up bunny now, I shouldn't have to explain to you how the tabloids would make that look! I'm _not_ giving them more to sink their _teeth_ into! I know you've always had a - a stubborn streak, but can't you abide by my wishes for _once?_ Sometimes I think, just because I _say_ something, you have to do the complete opposite, and that's... _hurtful_ , Judy."

"Dad, that's _not_ true! You _know_ I really value your opinion, you and Mom _both_." Her jaw tightened, and to her shame, she found she was blinking back tears. "But right here and now, this trip has to be all or none. I'm not visiting if he can't come _too_..."

"For goodness _sake_ , what makes you think your friend would even _want_ to come? Foxes are _loners_ , sweetheart – he doesn't want to be crammed into our burrow! And what would we _feed_ him? We're two completely different species! They eat meat! That's animal flesh, Judy. _Animal_ flesh!"

Judy cringed and bristled at the same time, because her father was _trying_ to push her buttons now. "That's completely ridiculous! Nick's a _vegetarian!_ And you know what, so _what_ if he wanted to eat some fish? That doesn't hurt _us_ , does it?"

Her father replied with a cooler voice, and a twinge of embarrassment. "Nevermind about that. I'm not...saying anything against your friend." His voice hardened, doggedly. "But it's just not acceptable. You are _not_ inviting him here, and so help me, if you insist then, well...thats _that_. It would be better if you stayed in Zootopia. _That's_ how I feel, Judy."

Judy could hear her mother's voice in the background. "...not coming? Of _course_ she can come, what do you _mean_ , Stu?" Her voice got suddenly closer, making it clear her mom had re-aquired the phone. "Judy? I don't know _what_ your father was saying just now, but you can _always_ come home, sweetheart, and you can bring the entire police force with you, if you want." Her voice was a little too warm, belying just how much her mom wanted to see her. "So, when are you coming down?"

Judy's shoulders hunched slightly, because she knew she needed to make things clear for her. "I'm bringing Nick Wilde, Mom. I want you two to meet him in person. It's.." Her throat suddenly tightened, tears threatening again. " _I-Important_ to me."

Now it was her dad in the background. "...no, the answer is _no_ , Bonnie, you _tell_ her that!"

"Sweetheart..." A long sigh. Judy held her breath, because her mother's answer could mean she wouldn't see her family for longer than they could know...

"I...I _trust_ you, Judy, to have good sense..." Then her mom's voice firmed up, righteous fury shining through. "And just _see_ what I'll do if any news people show up on _this_ doorstep! You bring whoever you want, and that's _that_ , Judy." Her dad went silent in the background, and her mom's voice became a little sheepish. Her words sped up. "So come out soon! Good night, sweetheart, we love you!"

Judy grinned into the phone, tears in her eyes. "I will! Good night, Mom!" She tapped the phone to end the call, before she could hear her parents start what was sure to be a long argument.

She sighed, looking down at the phone...

 _Nick_. Where...? Judy nearly jumped as she turned around. He was standing right next to her, completely still. Listening to _every_ _word._

"Hey, so..." Judy's voice came out thin. She was still feeling emotionally fragile. "Ready to catch a train?"

Nick pulled away when she reached up to him, turning to casually stroll back toward the sitting chair he had vacated earlier. He tossed a reply over his shoulder, voice deceptively light. "Road trip might be better. That way, we can make a quick get away when it all goes south."

The way his tail was held a little too still, the way his stride had a measured feel as if he was making a point of being nonchalant...Nick was upset, and she couldn't blame him.

But Judy didn't know how to address the elephant in the room...or just didn't feel she could, not then, not when it was her dad saying those things. She matched his tone, instead, wishing she really could laugh it off.

"Oh come on, we are _not_ going to need a _getaway_ vehicle, Nick. And I owe it to them to explain that we're a couple before the tabloids make it sound all kinds of wrong."

He turned his head slightly before he sat, not really looking at her. "Kinda late for that, Carrots. They saw the actual tabloid?"

"...yeah. Gideon _Grey_ saw it, and brought it straight to them. My mom made it sound like he wants to punch you in the snout, which is pretty ironic." Judy huffed, shaking her head, looking anywhere but at him.

Nick didn't say anything, thoughts dark. _Just wait until she tells her family she kissed the mouth pictured on that tabloid._

Judy brushed a paw surreptitiously across her eyes, and stood up from the couch to walk toward him with a look that left Nick wishing he could make everyone think, for the hundredth time that day _alone_ , that a predator dating his natural prey was just the peachiest thing in the world.

He opened his arms to her, and Judy climbed onto his lap, turning to lean back into his chest. Nick rested his chin between her ears, wrapping his arms around to gently press against her stomach and snug her even closer to him. When she didn't say anything immediately, his thoughts wandered back over the conversation with her father.

It didn't sound like her dad was up for him being friends with her, not really. _Never mind_ anything else...

"We could still call it off, you know." Nick kept his voice soft, relaxed, but inside everything tightened; his throat, his heart...as if his body was fighting his words, hating what he was saying as much as he did. He swallowed back the emotions and closed his eyes, thankful she couldn't see his face.

Judy humphed. "We're _going_ \- we can't avoid my dad forever, Nick."

He snorted softly, the hint of an ironic smile touching his face. "I mean...permanently, Carrots. Maybe we're both nuts, you know? A few years from now, you could be happily married to some lucky buck, and who knows, maybe I'll even put some effort in, find a nice vixen. We could attend each others weddings, have couples nights, hang out, still be best friends...you know. Just...say the word."

Nick forced his breathing to remain regular, waiting to play pretend, waiting to laugh it all off, because if it had taken Judy this long to realize what this could _do_ to her, to realize that if it was a choice between him and her _family_...

"...if you are serious right now, I am going to _kill_ you, Nick Wilde!" Judy squirmed around, and Nick was caught by eyes full of righteous indignation. "I said I _love_ you. Not _like_ you! _N_ ot...not oh hey that fox partner of mine is kind of _cute_ , maybe we should date!" She stared up at him, hurt flashing in her eyes. " _Love_ , Nick. You are _incredible_..."

But then her look softened, and Nick felt naked as she just stared up at him. She was doing it again, getting past his barriers, all those walls he'd built higher and higher and higher over the years. And behind those walls, the secret pit of despair he'd been prepared to crawl into was slowly evaporating, as if his whole life before Judy was a nightmare driven away by the morning light.

Judy set her knees on his thighs, and straightened up so that they were eye to eye, as she continued to study him. She reached out a gentle paw to brush through the fur on his neck, bringing it up to rest on his cheek. All he could do was watch, struck silent, as her gaze jumped back and forth between his eyes, searching.

Her voice dropped low and soft. "Actually...you _are_ incredible, Nick." She smiled, bashfully glancing down for a moment, as her thumb brushed against the fur on his cheek. "You always know what to say to make me laugh. You're so smart. You always have my back when we're in a dangerous situation. You...have the most _beautiful_ green eyes..." She snorted as she felt his smirk, and looked up again, her eyes full of love. "And...you have such a _big heart_..." Her face tightened for an instant, showing something protective and in pain, mirroring his own feelings, but then her smile was back, and she was shaking her head slightly, just a little exasperation in the movement.

Then Judy leaned forward, shocking Nick as she attacked his face with butterfly kisses in a gesture that was pure affection. As she continued, the shock gave through to embarrassment and awe and he was _not going to cry..._

He wanted to reach back, hold her and pet her and just...cuddle her to him like a living safety blanket, but instead Nick just sat silent, his throat working as he ruthlessly pushed down the tears, because he still wasn't comfortable opening up, even if he did love Judy, even if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this rabbit...because this was _serious_. This was her family. And Nick hadn't missed the way her dad hadn't even _considered_ they might be a couple.

Judy ended the tiny kisses with a tight hug, and leaned her head against his neck, sighing deeply.

"Nick...don't you trust me by now? Did you really think I'd say "oh just kidding", after _everything_ , if you gave me an out?" Her plaintive voice vibrated into his chest, because that was how hard she was hugging him, as if he might try to run if she let go. She slowly loosened her grip and sat back, sitting sideways in his lap, and rested her cheek against his chest. Her voice was gentle, but held an edge of distress. "Why do you _do_ that to yourself? Why do you think your feelings don't matter? I mean, I _want_ to understand. _Help_ me, Nick."

In a moment that he could only call stupidity, Nick's barriers fell away, and he simply answered Judy with words that came from a place of logic so deeply ingrained that it didn't take conscious thought. "Do you know what a tame collar is?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Nick did a silent double take. Where did that _come_ from? He didn't even _think_ about that anymore, not for years, and yet... _there_ it was, front and center, when the right question was asked by the right _person...?_

It was shocking, and the irony was not lost on the part of his mind that had long ago turned bitterly cynical.

That part of his life was ugly, _humiliating_. He'd buried it so deep down because he couldn't stand to remember it, and he _didn't_ want Judy to know about the Zootopia of his childhood, not _really_ know, because it would color everything for her, every interaction, every motivation...like it did for _most_ of the animals who remembered, and there were still _plenty_ of them.

Somehow, even after a year here, Judy was still so naïve, and he didn't _want_ her to change.

So Nick followed up before she could possibly reply, forcing humor into his voice, while changing the topic. "Hey, nevermind. So, who's Gideon Grey again?" He pulled a smirk. "Should I pack riot gear for the trip?"

Despite how fast he'd pushed past the tame collar comment, or maybe because of it, Judy didn't try to return to it. But she did carefully stow it away. The phrase was hard to forget, anyway- and it felt like she'd heard it someplace before, in passing, maybe. But she knew Nick well enough by now to know that he'd immediately regretted his words, and would only find a way to twist out of things if she tried to bring it up. And that tended to infuriate her...

And even a play-fight was still a fight. She didn't have the emotional energy right now, if she was honest with herself.

"I _think_ you'll manage _without_ the riot gear." Judy huffed in a half vocalized chuckle, and snuggled even closer to Nick, relishing the feeling of warmth and safety he radiated. "And Gideon's a friend on furbook - partners with my parents. The fox who bakes pies, remember?"

She felt Nick shift slightly as he nodded, his chin brushing the fur on her head. "Ah...thus the irony, given that he's a fox."

Judy blinked, thinking back to her comment earlier. "Oh...! That's not it." Her ears drooped slightly, embarrassed at herself. "I was just...being petty. He was a _huge_ bully when we were kids. But to be fair, he grew up, stopped being a jerk, and became a pastry chef. So, you know...end of story. Who knew he had a protective streak?" She shrugged, shaking her head.

Nick frowned to himself, thinking that if Gideon were really that protective, he would've burned that tabloid instead of showing it to her _parents_. Come to think of it, Nick couldn't find an entirely innocent motive behind that, unless Gideon was just stupid, of course.

Nick pursed his lips. "Let me guess. He bullied _you_ plenty?"

Judy didn't say anything for a moment, and he knew she was frowning, considering her reply. "Well, yes...along with practically every _other_ animal smaller than he was. Maybe I stood up to him more, but I was hardly his only target. Mostly he just stole lunch money - or lunches - and tried to make everyone _not_ in his little gang feel small. Pretty typical bully. But it really _is_ ancient history, Nick."

Her suddenly plaintive tone made clear that she didn't want to dwell on it, and felt guilty even holding a grudge. "He's grown out of it. He even went so far as to apologize to me when we ran into each other last year. And...he's partnered with my parents now, so we might run into him. I guess I feel bad bringing this up, because I _don't_ want that to translate into how you might view him, Nick."

Nick sighed softly, because it was clear that whatever Gideon had done when they were kids had stuck with Judy in a big way, whether she was willing to acknowledge it or not, and it rankled to find out that her childhood bully had been a fox, of all animals. But Nick couldn't fault her for holding things back. The way he'd been driven out from the Junior Scouts was only part of his story...although it did signify the last straw before he just gave up, in a way.

 _That_ had been the moment he'd finally realized that banning tame collars wasn't going to _fix_ the world. And boy, had _that_ been the let down of his childhood. It was one thing to have a law imposed by nameless grown-ups...another to realize a majority of the prey population resented when that law was struck from the books, and lost no time indoctrinating their children to feel the same way.

Being muzzled had suddenly become the new thing to fear, in his young mind, right when he'd been ready to sing kumbaya. He had _actually_ thought that everyone would be as happy as he was to see the tame collars gone.

Well. That night had been an eye opener. It had shaped his outlook, right up until the day Judy had walked up and blackmailed him into doing something _meaningful_ with his life.

He snorted gently, amazed at how things had come full circle, and tightened his arms, hugging Judy closer for a moment. "Don't worry, Carrots. I forgive him, if you have. Don't forget, the first time we met I pulled a hustle on you, then you threatened me with five years of jail time."

Judy's voice had laughter in it. "And yet here we are."

Nick grinned lazily. "Exactly."

One of Judy's paws wandered up to gently rest on his forearm, playing with the fur there. "So...are we decided? Road trip to Bunny Burrow? I'm _sure_ Finnick will let us borrow the van..."

Nick laughed out loud, caught by surprise, and Judy joined in. He put a hand to his eyes, still laughing. "Chief Bogo...would _kill_ us..."

Judy obviously knew what he meant. "Seriously, I wonder what my parents would see first, us or the next tabloid cover featuring that _van_..."

Nick was still chuckling. "The Chief would have to get in line behind _Finnick_ , of course..."

"But really, it _deserves_ to be on the front page, Nick. That artwork is unforgettable!"

He sobered up a bit. "It _is_ one of a kind, actually. You know, Finnick knows the artist? Kind of an obsessive-compulsive type, works out of a car mechanic's shop." And with a talent that deserved acknowledgement, but somehow after all of these years, the coyote was still stuck in that industrial slum, and Nick honestly couldn't say, looking back at the last year, if half the reason wasn't his own inability to make that leap of faith and _try_ to reach a bigger market.

That was a depressing thought. Maybe...maybe he'd make a visit, encourage the animal. His art really _did_ deserve to be better known.

Nick brought a paw up, tugging on the tip of one of Judy's long ears. "I guess the train would be easier. I concede defeat. Consider my bags packed. But..."

"But what?"

"I _am_ making a leap of faith, you realize."

"Oh really. Why?"

"Because you have two hundred and seventy-five... _thousand_ siblings, Carrots. I can just picture it now, chased by a mob to the train stop, to be caught while waiting on a late train. Hopped to death by the Hopps..."

"Oh, _come_ on!"

"For all I know, your dad is working on a special signal right now to sic those little assassins on me while you're out of the room..."

"You're assuming they're all _little_ , huh?"

"And cute, of course. Just like you." He chuckled as Judy gave him a tiny jab.

"You're _impossible_."

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* * *

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AN: Comments and reviews are placed delicately on a beautiful porcelain dish, admired, then gobbled down ravenously. *Stares imploringly*


	4. Visiting the Parents (Part Two)

Author's Note: This thing probably has type-os. If someone were to find beta-ing an enjoyable past time, I wouldn't be opposed. O_O :)

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* * *

 **Visiting the Parents**

 **(Part Two)**

* * *

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Despite the fact that nothing truly dire warranted a press conference, a sizeable crowd had gathered for the ZPD's public announcement. As Nick scanned the crowd behind his aviators, he could see the extra padding came from members of the press who covered anything _but_ real news. That wasn't to say there weren't a few more legitimate members of the press there as well; even a few television crews were set up and rolling.

Everybody loved a scandal, after all.

Chief Bogo walked up to the podium, having just been introduced by a representative of City Hall, and tapped the microphone twice to make sure it was still live. The purpose for the conference had already been summarized for the press.

As Bogo cleared his throat, the murmur of the crowd quieted down.

"I'll keep this short, and to the point. We believe that the photo anonymously provided to the press was, in _fact_ , pulled from a security recording taken in the Museum of Natural History.

"As you are already aware, Officers Hopps and Wilde drew an unwitting confession from Dawn Bellweather in the Museum of Natural History last year. This was done through subterfuge. Officer Wilde was shot by Bellweather with what she _assumed_ was a powerful drug known as the Night Howler serum. Wilde proceeded to mimic the symptoms brought on by the drug, pretending to lose all control of his higher faculties and violently turning on Hopps.

"Officer Hopps, feigning panic, cleverly drew an explanation from Bellweather, who presumed that Hopps would soon be _dead_ , while Wilde, of course, would be the murderer, and impossible to question due to the effects of the drug. During this pretense, Wilde pretended to pounce on Hopps, and placed his mouth, very briefly, around her neck."

Nick took a cynical joy in seeing several members of the press cringe. It was comforting to know Bellweather would be rotting behind bars for the rest of her life.

"There has been no occasion, before or since, in which those teeth have come anywhere near Officer Hopps' neck. Additionally, the ZPD has consulted three independent specialists who have all drawn the same conclusion: the so-called photo provided to the press _was_ in fact pulled from a video recording, specifically the type used in video surveillance by various government facilities in Zootopia."

Cheif Bogo cleared his throat again, frowning down at the crowd of reporters in a way that said _do not interrupt_ , then continued. "Last year, when evidence was being gathered for the case against Dawn Bellweather, the ZPD _did_ check for security recordings, but found no footage. The museum was closed for renovations the day the confrontation between Bellweather and Officers Hopps and Wilde took place, and with clear and convincing evidence against Bellweather in hand, the ZPD didn't follow up regarding the lack of security footage. However, as of this week, we have ascertained that it is, and _has_ been, normal procedure for Natural History Museum's security staff to keep security cameras rolling during planned maintenance, to monitor against theft.

"Given this new information, it is _clear_ that someone switched out the security footage from the day of Bellweather's confession, and that this animal kept the original tape. With this new information, the ZPD has officially re- _opened_ the Bellweather investigation, and will track down the persons responsible for both removing evidence against Bellweather, and for providing doctored footage to the press."

Chief Bogo paused, his impressive form dominating the podium, and scanned the audience with a relatively mild scowl, as far as his daily facial expressions went. "I will now open the floor to questions."

Hands shot up. Bogo pointed to a badger with a press badge shoved into the rim of his hat, and Nick suppressed a roll of his eyes. Bad choice.

The badger raised his microphone. "Chief Bogo, we all know that Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are partners on the force, but are they or are they not _romantically_ involved?"

Bogo's scowl deepened. "Officers Hopps and Wilde are private citizens whose personal lives have _no place_ in the press. For those who aren't _aware_ , however, the ZPD has a strict code _prohibiting_ work place relationships, and the fact that they _are_ partners on the force should _speak for itself_."

"Chief Bogo, that sounds like you're dodge..."

Bogo interrupted, coming down like an avalanche, drowning out the badger's words. "Now that I've _very clearly_ answered that question, given that both Officers Wilde and Hopps _strictly adhere_ to the rules laid out by the ZPD, does _anyone_ have questions that are _not_ focused on the non-existent romance between two of my _best_ officers?"

Bogo pointed to a pig a few feet over from the now scowling badger. "Go."

"Thank you, Chief Bogo! How do Officers Hopps and Wilde feel about inter-species, predator-prey relatio..."

"Next!" Bogo pointed to someone else.

Nick spared a glance for his partner, and was silently impressed with how primly Judy sat, ears kept erect, with a surprisingly good poker face. For his part, with days to prepare, Nick had already thought through all the ways in which this might go, and had time to prepare his own poker face.

Besides, that was _all_ they had to do. They were there to look professional, keep their heads up, and show that they had nothing to hide. Bogo had made clear that neither of them were to directly speak with the press at _any_ time, for _any_ reason. Especially Judy.

To be honest, Nick was still grateful it had been Bogo, and not him, who had explained to Judy that now _was not the time_ to openly proclaim her undying love for her partner.

Even if Nick was getting on a train later that day to walk through _exactly_ that with her parents.

* * *

"Police brutality! Put me down this _instant_ , you...you...h-hey, what're you _d-doing_...?!"

Nick didn't put the hamster down. Instead, he lifted him closer, and took a good long sniff, catching a few scents off the mammal he honestly would have preferred to avoid. Nick let the little fuzz-ball stew for a moment, keeping his expression neutral and eyes hooded, finally relenting when his little captive was about ready to gnaw his way out of his grip, his beady little eyes flicking this way and that.

"I'm _just_...getting your scent. If you recall, we foxes have a _knack_ for that kind of thing. So let me give you a tip." Nick narrowed his eyes, scowling, and brought the hamster close again. " _Don't_ let me catch _your scent again_."

With that, Nick rummaged one-handed through the same backpack his little hitch-hiker had been hiding in, and pulled out two items: his badge, and his smallest set of handcuffs.

Nick had packed for trouble.

After realizing his fuzzy little hide wasn't in mortal danger after all, the hamster recovered himself like the pro he was. "I see you've got a ticket to Bunny Burrow, Mr. Wilde! Planning a rendezvous? Is it _true_ that you and Judy Hopps are..."

"Hold out your paws." The hamster's eyes jumped to the miniature handcuffs, and he started squirming in Nick's grip.

"Put me _down!_ Police brutali...!"

"Let's see...stowing away inside another animal's luggage? Either you didn't pay for a ticket, or you just _couldn't resist_ pawing through somebody else's things." Nick had to talk over the hamster at first, but the little mammal went quiet again as his words sank in. "So here are some _great_ questions I have for _you_. What kind of thief _are_ you, and are you going to be cited for resisting arrest and using derogatory terms with a police officer, _too_? Not to mention invasion of privacy, since this _is_ a single occupancy restroom we're sharing..." Nick threw in a wink, unable to resist pushing the diminutive muck raker's blood pressure up a little higher. "You _sly_ little hamster."

Nick carefully set his infuriated captive down on a counter-top clearly meant for much larger animals, the distance to the ground serving as a prison for the tiny mammal.

Nick held the miniature handcuffs out, balanced on a single claw, eyes half lidded. "Your choice."

* * *

Judy pulled out her phone at the soft chirp announcing a text. It was from Nick, who had taken the same train, but was sitting several cars away.

~Had a stowaway. Check your luggage. Plus...~

Judy waited, a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

~Change of plans. I have to catch the next train. I had to hand him over at the last stop, you know the drill.~

Judy's face soured for a moment, before she schooled it, in case she really did have an unwanted observer. She switched to the Metro app she still had open from earlier, tapped in a quick search, and...

The next train wouldn't come for two hours. _Arg!_

Well...it _could_ be worse. Routes didn't go all the way out to Bunny Burrow more than a couple of times a day, on average. Judy switched back to her texting app, and saw that Nick had already texted her his new route and time, going for the same one she had pulled up – the only option left for the day. She tapped a reply.

I'll catch dinner with my parents in town, don't worry. We'll swing back and get you after. Get something now, since you're stuck!

~On it. Sorry about this, Carrots.~

Not your fault. Enjoy the cheesie burger!

~You know me too well.~

Judy chuckled, then stowed her phone and started a clandestine search for unwanted company, but after a few minutes, she sat back again, satisfied that she was in the clear. Luckily, her species was a more common sight in Zootopia. Stalking her made for a tougher job than stalking Nick.

Plus...well, she _might_ have taken a few dozen detours on the way to Grand Central Station. And wore a disguise for part of the way. What could she say? It wasn't every day she got to pretend she was in a spy movie!

* * *

Stu and Bonnie were waiting as the train came to a stop, and Judy swore she saw her dad's face brighten when he realized she didn't have company. They walked over to meet her halfway, Stu reaching for Judy's suitcase-on-wheels, while Judy kept her overstuffed back-pack purse.

"Hey, you guys..." Judy smiled happily, as they all paused for hugs, her arms briefly circling around each beloved parent. Their familiar, safe scents were already diffusing tension she hadn't realized she'd been carrying along, thanks to the incredible stress of the past week.

Her mom sighed into Judy's fur, eyes closed as she held Judy a little longer than Stu. As Bonnie pulled away, Judy's heart tightened. Her mom's white fur had inched a little further in, around her loving face. "Sweetheart, it's so _good_ to _see_ you."

"I missed you too..." Her eyes jumped to her dad, and for a moment she was almost in tears again, because their last conversation had been a _fight_ , and she _hated_ fighting with her parents...

Stu stepped in again, a slightly wobbly smile on his face, and caught her up in another, tighter hug. He spoke softly into her ear, in a slightly gravely voice. "I love you, Judy."

She smiled into his fur, which was also whiter than she remembered, tightening the hug. "I love you too, Dad."

They continued on their walk, Judy with an involuntary smile of relief on her face. It felt so good to make up, and she found she was content to fall back into the role of child, being led by her parents to wherever they had parked the car. In a little bit, she would have to give the disappointing news to her dad, but putting it off for just a few minutes ought to be okay...

But then Stu voiced the obvious question. "Soooo...I thought we were going to have company?" Her dad kept his voice light, his tone only slightly awkward.

Judy's ears drooped a little, and she took a deep breath. _Well, I guess sooner is better than later, anyway._

" _About_ that...Nick got delayed and had to catch another train, so I was _kind_ of thinking we could get dinner out, then swing back around to pick him up in about two hours?" Judy avoided her parents' eyes as she spoke, but couldn't miss the tell-tale twitch of her father's ears, as the relief he must have been feeling vanished.

Maybe she should have called ahead, and let them know about the change in timing? Even a few hours could make a big difference when you ran a farm. Judy's siblings were older now, and things were extremely organized back at the house, but even a few years back, changing the schedule up like this would have been a pretty big imposition, and this was for _Nick_ , her dad's new least-favorite person.

Bonnie answered, stepping into the space left by Stu's disappointed silence. "Actually, that sounds like fun, honey! We haven't been out to eat in ages, and there's a new restaurant that opened just last month called Nature's Fork. We could go there! Mark can take care of things at home tonight." Mark was a few litters behind Judy, and young enough to be at home while being old enough to step up and take charge when needed.

Judy replied, grateful but hesitant, since her dad had yet to voice his approval, too. "That sounds nice, Mom."

"Well, that's decided then!" Bonnie unzipped her purse, going for her phone. "I'll let Mark know."

* * *

There was a bigger downside to depositing Mr. Stewie Shortwhiskers with the local police, and giving his statement on the rodent paparazzi's snooping. He was late now, sure, but Mr. Shortwhiskers would undoubtedly alert even _more_ paparazzi that Officer Nick Wilde was taking a spontaneous trip to Bunny Burrow.

 _Infatuated Fox Flees_ would probably make a _great_ headline.

Nick pursed his lips, eyes narrowing into an expression of tired resignation. Even so, the irony of handing Stewie a sizeable fine for invading his privacy felt good, and you could only pick one battle at a time. Besides, Nick hadn't had a choice – Stewie _needed_ to go.

Nick knew he couldn't handle the rejection of Judy's family _and_ having it all plastered across Zootopia's tabloids at the same time. If the two calamities could be offset by a few weeks, that was all he asked. He was prepared as he could be to handle the reactions he'd get from Judy's family, when she explained their real relationship. Nick had packed snacks, money, some first aid basics...pain killers, bandaids. If he had to hoof it out of the house and trek cross country to get back to the train station or, say, borrow an unguarded vehicle (temporarily, of course), then he was prepared.

Who could say, maybe the Hopps would just drop him off back at the train stop? He could deal with that. That would be...nice, even. All things considered.

Nick's ears drooped, and he consciously forced them up again, fixing a relaxed expression back in place; the smiling facade that had gotten him through so many situations in the past.

Yes, he had _agreed_ to this. Yes, he _loved_ Judy. Yes, he wanted her to be happy, and he wanted to be happy _with_ her. But he couldn't help setting his expectations low, where it came to her family. It was a defense mechanism. Pre-coping. He knew better than to build up dreams of kumbaya again.

And he _had_ to be strong for Judy, because she was building up those dreams, miles high, right now. And if they came crashing down...? Well, he'd be whatever she _needed_ him to be.

With that thought fixed firmly in place, Nick stood up as the announcement came that Bunny Burrow station was one minute away. He turned to face the window, and silently took one deep breath after another, forcing the butterflies back down, stretching slightly to loosen up as if preparing for a hustle, and...

 _There's the happy family._

Judy and her parents stood about twenty feet back from the train. Hardly anyone else was around; he was truly out in the boondocks now. The view, as he gazed past the central hug of the small town, was composed mainly of grass, and a smattering of trees and building not more than three stories high.

It was twilight; where the lengthening lines of shadow created by the sun's last moments on the edge of the horizon had melted into a single, darkening ambiance. This time of day was ideal for Nick's eyesight, and as he focused back on the most stress inducing part of the scenery – namely, Judy's family - he could clearly discern their expressions. He knew they likely saw the form of a fox and not much else, at this distance.

Because of that, Nick was almost certain they hadn't schooled their expressions yet. Judy's father was openly frowning, ears pulled down, although his wife, at least, held onto an awkward smile. Judy was smiling, albeit nervously, and her parents stood close by on either side. Her mother's paw was loosely wrapped around one of her arms. It gave the illusion that they were physically holding her back from walking out to greet him.

As the double doors of the train hissed open, Nick's smile hardened, the mask falling even more firmly into place. He picked up the backpack his hamster buddy had hitchhiked in earlier, and made his way to the door, raising a paw in greeting as he stepped out. Judy raised a paw in response, and Nick's heart warmed as her smile became eager. He hefted his overstuffed backpack a little higher over one shoulder, and skipped through a mental checklist of good behavior as he began to stroll over.

Don't make any quick movements, stay professional and polite... _don't_ smile with the teeth...

As he drew up to the family, meeting them halfway, Nick risked another glance at Mr. Hopps. _Oh look, he's not frowning now! Progress._ True, it wasn't a smile, _either_ , but Nick would take what he could get.

Judy's mother extended a paw. "Mr. Wilde, welcome to Bunny Burrow!" Nick reached out to gently shake it, and offered a polite smile.

"It's _such_ a pleasure to meet you both." Nick focused mainly on Mrs. Hopps, as he warmly greeted them. "Judy has told me and, of course, the other members of the ZPD so much _about_ you two!" It couldn't hurt to remind them that he was an upstanding member of law enforcement. "It's really an honor to get to meet the folks who produced such an _exemplary_ animal."

Judy, thankfully, held her tongue, but her lips were pursed slightly as she recognized that he was playing a role, even if it wasn't a hustle, per se.

Bonnie Hopps' smile widened, showing genuine pride for her daughter as they began to walk as a group, with a still silent Mr. Hopps leading the way. "Oh, we can still hardly _believe_ what Judy has accomplished, ourselves! But no one can take credit for our daughter's success except Judy herself. Let me tell you, she got where she was _determined_ to be." Nick's smile softened, as he noticed Bonnie give Judy's arm an affectionate squeeze, and couldn't help think that having a loving family had played a role, too.

Bonnie continued, nodding up to Nick. "And of course, I know that you've accomplished quite a lot as well, being the first fox on the force. I'm _sure_ your family must be so proud!"

Nick skipped past her last comment. "Oh, call me Nick, please. Last names are so formal. By the way, I owe you a _very_ appreciative thank-you for the wonderful pastries you've sent your daughter over the last year. She shares them with the ZPD, and I must say, your blueberry pie is a thing of _beauty_ , Mrs. Hopps."

Bonnie blinked in surprise. "Oh, I – I can't take credit for that, I'm afraid! If you've tried the carrot cake, that's my specialty, but our partner Gideon has the real skill with pastries, and the pies are always his." She smiled, glancing briefly to Judy as she continued. "He's really _very_ sweet! He tries to include something or other with every gift bag we've put together for Judy."

Judy's ears perked up. "Really? I didn't know that!"

The only real surprise Nick had was to learn that Judy _was_ genuinely surprised the pies came from Gideon. Nick had been betting on it.

Mrs. Hopps frowned, looking a little consternated at herself. "Oh, I thought I included a note with that _first_ pie...things are always so busy, maybe I forgot." Her smile re-established itself, and Nick found he was beginning to like Judy's mom. He reigned in the emotion, knowing it would be like poison later, if things went badly. "Gideon wanted to sort of stay under the radar, anyway...he's very humble."

"You might get to meet him tonight." Nick's focus jumped forward, as Stu spoke for the first time, in a quiet, neutral voice. "He's taken to delivering the bulk of his pastries to us on Friday evenings. We've found that most folk go for a pie more often on the weekends. In fact, we have a few regulars that show up just for the pastries, these days. A few of them are...foxes, in fact." His voice was hesitant, but Nick recognized the clumsy attempt at extending an olive branch. Judy's dad had to know he'd come off as unwelcoming.

Nick grinned, not about to miss the opportunity. "Well Mr. Hopps, as an animal who might know a _little_ bit about foxes, I can see why they might show up for blueberry pie. In fact, I might just have to buy a few pies myself, if the opportunity presents itself."

"Well...blueberries aren't in season." Stu's words were just a little too cropped, making the response come off as rude, and for the first time in a very long time, Nick found himself hesitating. Sure, he could say lots of things, but this wasn't _really_ a hustle, this was Judy's _father_...

"...but we have _plenty_ of preserves. Bonnie makes _amazing_ preserves. Gideon might have even've thrown in a few blueberry danishes tonight. Those things'll hook you for life, though, let me just say." Stu paused, pulling keys out from a pocket of his overalls, and turned to finally look Nick in the eyes, presenting a genuine, if reserved, smile. "Well, here we are. We brought the SUV. Should be, you know, plenty of room."

Nick smiled back, a little of the tension in his heart melting away.

As Stu turned back toward the car, Nick flashed a quick smile at Judy over Mrs. Hopps' head. It wasn't time to hope yet, but this might be a small step forwar...

Judy's ears twitched. "Oh, Nick, you've _got_ something..." She pointed to his face, weaving around her mom to get closer to him. "Here, smile for me again..."

Nick awkwardly bared his teeth, but as Judy squinted up at him, his hesitance fell away, as he focused on her beautiful eyes. "Uh-huh, upper-right bicuspid..."

Nick put a claw to where he thought she meant. "One more over..." He jumped a tooth. "Yep!" He dug in, getting rid of the offensive remnant of cheesie burger, sucking it off the tip of his claw after locating it. Then he gave Judy a wide grin, holding it so she could have another look.

Judy leaned back, satisfied, albeit with a furry eyebrow raised at his method of disposal. She gave him a lopsided smile. "Better."

Then their little bubble opened up again, and they simultaneously became aware of the wide eyes of both Bonnie and Stu, who had paused on his way around the car.

Nick's ears dropped back, just the tiniest fraction, but it was stupid to pretend. He smiled again, albeit with closed lips, and spoke gently, but from the heart.

"Judy and I trust each other completely. It's one reason we make such an excellent team."

Judy grinned up at him, grateful for the save. "Truer words were never said, Officer Wilde."

The awkward moment passed. Judy's mother found a smile again, and her dad continued on around the car. And although Nick felt that glimmer of affection for them surface again, he let it stay this time, against his better judgment.

.

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* * *

AN: I noticed that comments are pretty rare for Zootopia stories, so if you can take the time to share your thoughts, I'll appreciate it all the more. As with any author, your comments are like food and water. And if anybody really does want to beta, I'm open!


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